Maboda Temple - western Sri Lanka's rock-cut Buddha giant
The Maboda temple is located in between the villages of Ballapana and Mabodale, 1 km east of Galkanda junction. It’s situated 22 km east of Negombo by road. Drivers in Negombo sometimes call this temple Galkanda. Maboda is a typical village temple with an image hall crowded with gaudy figures of Buddhist saints and kings and demons. A stupa is placed on an octogonal platform.
The main feature of the Maboda temple, however, is a huge rock-cut Buddha, the only such giant Buddha statue in Sri Lanka’s western province. It’s presumably from the same period as Aukana Buddha, the late Anuradhapura period (8th to 10th century). Lovers of ancient Buddhist art, however, could be disappointed, as the Buddha statue is painted in a colourful modern fashion. It looks like a very new Buddha statue in a glass cabinet. Although this disturbs or destroys the ancient statue’s patina, you should be aware that the current much more appealing appearance of ancient statues such Aukana Buddha or the rock-cut sculptures in Polonnaruwa is not the original one. When venerated in ancient times, those other statues were inside shrine rooms and presumably painted and occasionally restored, too.
An excursion to the Maboda Temple starting from Negombo can be easily combined with a visit of the Aluthepola cave temple.
The main feature of the Maboda temple, however, is a huge rock-cut Buddha, the only such giant Buddha statue in Sri Lanka’s western province. It’s presumably from the same period as Aukana Buddha, the late Anuradhapura period (8th to 10th century). Lovers of ancient Buddhist art, however, could be disappointed, as the Buddha statue is painted in a colourful modern fashion. It looks like a very new Buddha statue in a glass cabinet. Although this disturbs or destroys the ancient statue’s patina, you should be aware that the current much more appealing appearance of ancient statues such Aukana Buddha or the rock-cut sculptures in Polonnaruwa is not the original one. When venerated in ancient times, those other statues were inside shrine rooms and presumably painted and occasionally restored, too.
An excursion to the Maboda Temple starting from Negombo can be easily combined with a visit of the Aluthepola cave temple.
